Octavia Butler’s Xenogenesis Trilogy takes its readers on a journey of evolution. It’s Genesis begins with Lilith is awakened from her drug induced sleep for the last time. Prior to this awakening, she had not yet seen what her captors looked like. But her vivid descriptions of her current womb like prison are described as rather bleak, bare, and cold, “The wall were lightly colored- white or grey, perhaps. The bed was what it had always been: a solid grey platform…” (5). When she does meet her captors she is shocked at their appearance more than anything else, describing their hair like tentacles as similar to that of medusa. It appears that, for Lilith as well as the other humans, what is most frightening is that they do not look “human”.
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These are questions that are left somewhat unresolved; from race to gender to humanity and intelligence. It seems that everything these two embody are contradictions. Their own embodiment, their own learned senses of self are completely throw out of the water, and replaced by a uniqueness and power that is frightening to their own kind. By giving us similar narration in both novels, as well as almost mirroring each other, Butler brings to light one major theme of this novel, the power of adaptability. She chooses to make her two characters what are considered today as repressed beings. They are black, they are female and androgynous, and they are neither human nor alien. This novel mimics key aspect of the Cold War. During this time anyone who was Russian was persecuted for being a Communist, they were considered alien in the eyes of those who feared their safety. Butler takes these real issues and redesigns them in a way that explores different possibilities and future shortcomings if humans continue to be so anti-change. As she does with many of her works, Butler shatters binaries. Both Lilith and Jodas had to adapt to their surroundings. Lilith did it by seeking to understand and learning the ways of the Oankali. She also had to become as much of an alien as she could to successfully start life back on Earth. It was her ability to adapt that ultimately saved her. Jodas, on the other hand also adapts, both literally and figuratively. Because of his shape shifting abilities he is able to reach the humans much easier than Lilith can. In fact, there is a scene in Dawn in which the humans talk about how if the Oankali had just made themselves look more human, the trade would have been much easier. But Jodas also must adapt to this new way of life. He is the first of his kind, feared by many, and potentially extremely dangerous to both himself and others around him. The first novel in this trilogy is
These are questions that are left somewhat unresolved; from race to gender to humanity and intelligence. It seems that everything these two embody are contradictions. Their own embodiment, their own learned senses of self are completely throw out of the water, and replaced by a uniqueness and power that is frightening to their own kind. By giving us similar narration in both novels, as well as almost mirroring each other, Butler brings to light one major theme of this novel, the power of adaptability. She chooses to make her two characters what are considered today as repressed beings. They are black, they are female and androgynous, and they are neither human nor alien. This novel mimics key aspect of the Cold War. During this time anyone who was Russian was persecuted for being a Communist, they were considered alien in the eyes of those who feared their safety. Butler takes these real issues and redesigns them in a way that explores different possibilities and future shortcomings if humans continue to be so anti-change. As she does with many of her works, Butler shatters binaries. Both Lilith and Jodas had to adapt to their surroundings. Lilith did it by seeking to understand and learning the ways of the Oankali. She also had to become as much of an alien as she could to successfully start life back on Earth. It was her ability to adapt that ultimately saved her. Jodas, on the other hand also adapts, both literally and figuratively. Because of his shape shifting abilities he is able to reach the humans much easier than Lilith can. In fact, there is a scene in Dawn in which the humans talk about how if the Oankali had just made themselves look more human, the trade would have been much easier. But Jodas also must adapt to this new way of life. He is the first of his kind, feared by many, and potentially extremely dangerous to both himself and others around him. The first novel in this trilogy is